It was dark when Severus awoke, and he was soaked to the bone.  The smell of damp earth and blood assaulted his senses in one and he raised a sore arm to feel his head.  Closing his eyes against the rain that was still falling upon him in the darkness, Severus rolled, and groaned, certain that he must have broken something.  Where was he?  Why was he here?

Something sharp stabbed him and he felt in his robe pocket as he sat up.  Broken potions phials.  Time turners, back in time, Harry, Henry Silver.  No.  He found his wand, thankfully still intact, and lit the tip of it to survey the wreckage inside his pocket, hoping that at least one phial had survived, but was surprised to find only broken glass.  There was not even a trace of the potion.  How could this be?  With a sigh he looked around him.  He was in a forest, though he couldn't be certain if it was the Forbidden Forest or if he had appeared someplace else in the world.  Climbing gingerly to his feet and swaying once he was up, he set off and came to the tree line.  In the distance, a castle towered over wide open fields, several windows at the very top lit up.  So he was at Hogwarts, the question was only when. 

Trudging up the grass towards the castle, Severus tried to rehearse what he'd say, especially if he had not turned up in the right time.  What if he'd ended up after Henry Silver's time?  What if he'd ended up in the future?  He knew he was playing with fire, so to speak, just trying to alter time at all.  He could change things so that he wouldn't even be born in the future, thus creating a paradox.  He'd like to avoid that possibility if at all possible.

When he made the oak front doors, he tried to discern how different things were, but the doors looked as they had always looked, and he lifted the heavy knocker and let it fall three times.  The rain came down harder as he waited for long minutes for anyone to come and answer the door.  He knew better than to just barge in. 

Finally there was the sound of a heavy metal lock sliding out of place, and the door opened to reveal a woman in some sort of nightgown with a cloth tied over her hair.  "Yes?"

"My apologies for calling so late," he said, "but I wish to speak to Mr. Lyons." 

"The Headmaster?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Of course, come in."  She stepped aside and Severus came in, dripping all over the floor. 

"You've been injured," she said, motioning to his forehead, and he said, "I was mugged on my journey here." 

"Muggles?"

He nodded.  That is, where the word mugged had come from, or so he had assumed if she just assumed it was Muggles.

"They want to burn you at the stake?" 

"They would have, had I not escaped."

"Poor dear.  Go into the Great Hall and I'll fetch Bertraine for you."  He gave a nod and went into the Great Hall.  At the front was the staff table, as always, but instead of four long house tables, there were eight, two for each house he presumed, not quite butted up against each other.  He sat at what he knew to be Gryffindor table, closest to the door, though facing it, and began to assess his injuries.  His rib felt broken but it might just be bruised, and he had a gash on his head which was still bleeding.  He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and held it up to the wound to stem the bleeding so that he didn't look a complete mess with the Headmaster came in.  It wasn't long before the woman and who he could only assume was Bertraine Lyons came in. 

"Yes?" the man asked warily, and Severus stood up, though still feeling wobbly on his feet.

"Headmaster Lyons?" 

"Yes."  He reminded Severus of Horace Slughorn, and secretly he wondered if he was Horace's ancestor.

"My deepest apologies for calling so late and in such a state, but I have traveled a very long way." 

"Mrs.  Lyons says you were Mugged by wizard hunters."

"I was.  I managed to escape." 

"Whereabouts was that?"

"Kilgury," Severus hazarded.  He'd taken a few hours the other day to research about this time period.  They did have apparation but only the most skilled used it, and only for short distances.  Apparating was more like hopping to another place than going straight there, so Kilugry, which wasn't all that far away but was still beyond reach of Hogwarts, seemed like a feasible place to have been mugged. 

"Yes yes, one of our Professors had trouble there last year.  Are you all right?"

"I believe I may have broken something, but I will be fine.  I have come on an urgent matter, you see.  My son went missing some time ago.  He fell and hit his head rather hard on a rock during tutoring.  While the tutor came to fetch me, he got up and walked off.  We believe he may have been confused and disoriented.  I have been searching far and wide for him, and someone recently came to me and said a boy matching his description has turned up here." 

"Here, at Hogwarts?"

"Yes.  He has a mess of black hair and a scar, here on his forehead." 

The Headmaster and his wife looked at each other and then Mrs. Lyons said, "He's talking about Henry Silver."

"Henry Silver?" Severus inquired, taking a step forward. 

"He came to us almost seven months ago, nakeder than a bull frog and scaring Mrs. Lyons while she was doing her gardening.  He didn't remember his name or where he came from.  You're saying he's your son?"

"I am hoping that he is.  I lost his mother some years ago and I would greatly appreciate any help you can give me in returning him to me.  His brother has taken ill and he is my only other heir." 

"Where was he schooled at?  Where were you schooled at?"

"I, as were my father and grandfather before me, were tutored at home.  So was Harry." 

"Harry?"

Severus nodded. 

"That makes sense then Mr. Lyons," Mrs. Lyons said, "Henry said his name didn't feel right.  It's because it was close but not right."

"And your last name sir?" The Headmaster inquired.  "And what is your profession?" 

"My name is... Tobias Silver," he said.  "I am a Potioneer."

The Headmaster eyed him as if searching for the truth in all of this.  "You make potions?" 

"Yes."

"I find it odd that we've given him the name Silver, and his actual second name is Silver." 

"If you would please, how did he come to have this name?"

"Oh, well, he seems to have taken to the color silver, so the students began calling him Mr. Silver," Mrs. Lyons said. 

"If this is truly my son," Severus said, feeling as though he was trying to talk his way out of a lie when all he could do was lie, "then it may be possible that he remembered his last name, and associated it with the color silver."

"Do you think he would recognize you?" she asked, and Severus held up his hands, as if pleading with them. 

"It is my sincerest hope that he will."

"And he's being trained in potions too is he?" the Headmaster asked, but here Severus had the knowledge of the books he'd been privy to reading, especially Henry Silver's journal, and said, "He was being trained in literature, it was his mother's idea as he loved to read as a small child, and in wizarding architecture.  He wants to build things.  He always wants to be doing something with his hands." 

"He knows spells we've never seen before."

"Yes, his uncle, my wife's brother was a spell inventor before he died.  Our family enjoys a great many spells others do not know." 

"So you can levitate objects?"

Severus nodded and withdrew his wand, which he aimed at a pebble he had just spotted on the floor.  He hadn't realized that wizards and witches in the middle ages didn't have the knowledge for Wingardium Leviosa, but then again, maybe it hadn't been invented yet. 

"You must be a wealthy family Potions Master Silver," the Headmaster said then, sticking out his chest as if he was proud to have him standing there in his school.  "The only other wand I've seen as smooth and well-crafted as yours, is the one belonging to Henry Silver."

"We are not so wealthy," Severus said, "just unusually gifted to have gifted witches and wizards in our family line.  My wife's brother also made wands.  It is unfortunate that he fell ill shortly after my wife did." 

"Poor dear," Mrs. Lyons said, "and then to lose Henry and get mugged after coming such a long way.  Let's get you up to the infirmary where I can heal you and get you warmed up.  I'm the school nurse." 

"How very kind," Severus said.  So far, so good.  He was not used to being so polite, but if it worked to get him in to see Henry... Harry, then he would stick with it as long as possible.

"You know, we don't have a Potion's Master here," the Headmaster said, following them out into the Entrance Hall.

"Truly not?" 

"There was an accident in the lowest dungeon and she drowned.  The lower dungeon is completely gone, nothing more than a cave now, and flooded with water from the lake."

Severus paused.  A potion's accident where the lake was in the cave under the school?  Could it have caused some unusual reaction in that particular spot where Harry had gone into the water? 

"Tell me," Severus said as they walked up the stairs, "was there a man with my son when he came to you?"

"A man?  No." 

"The tutor disappeared shortly after my son did.  He said he was going out to look for him, and never came back.  It was my fear that he may have kidnapped him and made up the story about Harry hitting his head."

Mrs. Lyon's gasped, "How awful.  Sometimes I don't know what this world is coming to these days... witch burnings, muggings, kidnappings..." 

"Calm yourself dear," Bertraine said.  "You've still got to tend to Mr. Silver here."

"Of course, of course." 

Severus thought his wounds could wait, he really just wanted to get to Harry, but it was late judging by the fact that he hadn't seen any students and Mrs. Lyons looked to be in her nightgown already, and he doubted they'd let him rouse Harry from sleep now.  He sat on one of the beds, which he was surprised to find stuffed with straw.

"Please forgive the mattress Mr. Silver, I know you must be accustomed to much finer things, but we've only just begun replacing the straw mattresses with feather ones.  Only Slytherin has feather mattresses right now." 

"It is not an issue," he said as she waved her wand over his gash and he began to feel it close up.

"I'm sure you've had a long journey now, just lay back and close your eyes and we'll have you tidied in no time." 

Severus did as he was told, and lay back on the mattress.  It wasn't very comfortable, but at least it was better than the hard ground outside.  He found himself drifting off unintentionally, and stirred only when he heard Mrs. Lyons muttering about muggings and wizard hunters under her breath as she treated him.  After that, Severus slept through the night.

* * *

"I'm going to wed a pure blood," announced Agretious as he watched Henry and Tillium McCormack working on the entrance to a third narrow passageway up on the third floor. 

Henry looked down from the ladder where he worked.  "Aren't you a little young for that?"

Agretious shook his head.  "Me mum was only 14 when she wed me father an' he was 16." 

"Why would you want to marry one of them anyway?" asked Tillium as she stuck her tongue out in disgust.  She was the only Muggle born in Ravenclaw and Henry had chosen her to help him with this passage.

"Because I'm tired of being looked down on.  I'm going to marry a pure blood an' from then on our family will be pure." 

"Look at how they treat us," Tillium said, putting her hands on her hips.  "Which one do you think you'll get to join with you?"

"I'm only 11, I've got time.  Maybe one of the Weasleys." 

"Yuck," she said.  Henry tilted his head.  He knew why they didn't like the pureblood students in the school... because they treated them with disdain, like they were dirty.  He didn't like the way the pureblood students treated the others, but didn't dislike the students for it.  He suspected it was the way they were raised, and the way the Headmaster let his dislike of the Muggleborns show in front of the other students.  Mrs Lyons wasn't that way and neither were most of the professors there, including the head of Gryffindor Macyn Darrow.  He had been trying to stem some of the harsh treatment by threatening detention with the shackles to any student he caught being cruel.

"I haven't heard the Weasleys saying bad things about anyone," Henry said then.  Many of them were in Gryffindor though a lot were also in Hufflepuff. 

"Well Professor Darrow has threatened them all hasn't he?  They're related, he's an uncle or something."

"And?" Henry asked.  "Are you going to look down on them just because they're pureblood?" 

"Why not?"  Agretious put his hands on his hips now.  Agretious' orange hair flashed in the flickering candlelight.

"Because you'd be lowering yourself to their level," Henry said.  "They look down on you without giving you a chance, and you're going to do the same thing." 

Agretious crossed his arms and Tillium let her mouth hang open a little.

"That's what I thought," Henry said.  "Why don't you try being friends with some of them before you make any judgements." 

"They won't sit with me or anything," Tillium said dully.  "How can I make friends with them?"

Henry pointed at the bricks she'd helped remove via magic.  "You're smart aren't you?  That is why you're in Ravenclaw... you just showed me how to remove the stones easier than I had planned on doing it.  Speak up in class and show them you belong in Ravenclaw." 

"It's not my place to prove it."

"But it's theirs to accept it?" 

She glared.

"I'm starting to think you're taking their side Master Silver," she said. 

"Am I?"

They kept working for another half an hour, Agretious thinking quietly and Tillium continuing to remove bricks, giving them to Henry to banish them, and then he sent them on their way to lunch.  He was just putting the ladder away in one of the new broom cupboards when a throat cleared behind him.  He closed the door to the broom cupboard and turned to find the Headmaster, Mrs Lyons, and another man, with long black hair and a crisp button up black over shirt that looked a dozen times nicer than what the other professors wore. 

"Henry," Mrs Lyons said, coming towards him with a smile as she always did.  "Someone has come who would like to meet you.  His name is Tobias Silver."

Henry looked at him.  He felt familiar but he wasn't sure how.  His insides felt a faint irritation but also a calm recognition.  He didn't understand. 

Tobias Silver stepped forward and his eyes took in the sight of Henry hungrily.  "I-" he paused, seeming uncertain for a few moments.  "I have come a long way to find you, Mr. Silver."

"Why me?" 

"You are my son."

Henry looked from Tobias to Mrs Lyons, and finally to the Headmaster, who had an odd look... it was irritation mixed with smugness. 

"Your son?" he asked, looking back at Tobias.

"During tutoring one day, you fell and hit your head on a rock.  The tutor reported you missing and then disappeared himself shortly thereafter.  We feared he may have kidnapped you.  I see now that you are safe." 

"Can you prove it?"

"Henry," Mrs Lyons said, putting her hand on his arm.  He knew she meant it as an admonishment but it hadn't come out harsh. 

"Where am I from?  What's my real name?  Where is my mother?  Why do I know magic no one else does?"

Tobias stared at him and Henry noticed that his features had suddenly grown hard.  He wasn't angry... stern maybe.  His voice was crisp when it next spoke and Henry knew from that moment that he was indeed a stern man. 

"You're real name is Harry James.  Your mother Lily is dead.  You are from a farm outside Godric's Hollow and your uncle invented spells, which is why you know magic others do not."

Henry looked at the floor for long moments, trying to remember any of it.  "Why do I have this?"  He pointed to his scar. 

"Accidental magic when you were one year old.  It rebounded and hit you in the forehead."

"So you're planning on making me leave?" 

Tobias looked to the Headmaster and cleared his throat.  "I intend to make you go nowhere.  You are of age and it is your choice what to do and where to go.  My goal was to be certain that you were safe, and that your memories return to you."

"We don't have anyone to teach Potions yet Master Snape," Mrs. Lyons said then.  "Perhaps we can work something out?" 

He looked at her and gave a nod.

"Well Mr. Lyons," she turned to the Headmaster.  "What do you think?  It will give Henry... Harry and his father time to get to know each other again, and it will give the students a chance to get back into Potioneering." 

"Come," the Headmaster beckoned to Severus.  "We will discuss wages and curriculum... and rules."

Henry watched the two men disappear, Tobias... his father, giving him one last look over his shoulder.  Yes, he was stern all right.  Henry didn't know if he liked that. 

"Well then Harry," Mrs. Lyons said, "what do you think of that?"

"Of what Mrs. Lyons?" he asked. 

"We know your name now.  You said before that Henry didn't sound right.  How about Harry?"

He thought about it.  "I don't know," he said.  He'd grown used to being called Henry, and wasn't sure if he liked the name Harry at all.  What kind of name was Harry anyway... he wasn't covered with hair was he?  He wasn't a beast...

"We'll call you Harry for a few days and then you can decide," she said.  "I'll inform the heads of house to tell their students after dinner tonight." 

He nodded, and she lead him to the Great Hall for lunch, where he sat next to Tillium at Ravenclaw because he didn't feel like sitting at the staff table if Tobias... his father was going to be there.  What kind of man was he?  What if he was cruel?  What if he hated Muggleborns?  Harry really liked the Muggleborns and didn't think he could handle it to find out he was raised to hate them.  Instead of dwelling on this new development all through lunch (he really didn't want to), he talked up Tillium on the process of making corridors loud enough to let the others know he valued her opinion, and noted that today Agretious had chosen to sit next to one of the Hufflepuff Weasleys, a girl his age with strawberry blond hair.  They weren't talking but she did look over at him now and again. 

After lunch Henry went to the library to write in his journal.

A man named Tobias Silver has come to the castle.  He says he is my father.  He says my real name is Harry James.  He seems very stern.  I wonder if he likes Muggleborns.  I don't remember anything of what he's told me.  He does seem familiar somehow.  Mrs. Lyons seems excited.  I think the Headmaster is excited too.  I'm sure he will be happy to be rid of me, if this Tobias Silver has come to take me away with him.  He says I'm of age though.  I wonder what that means.  Does it mean he'll leave me alone if I ask him to? 

He closed the journal and stared at the books around him, just thinking, trying to remember anything.  He had woken up on the grounds half in the lake and come to the castle naked.  Those were his first memories and nothing more.  How would he know if this man... his father, were telling him the truth?  And if they were hiring him on to the staff, well, I'll just see how he treats the Muggleborns, he thought.  It was a place to start at least.

Henry skipped dinner and stayed in his quarters that night, little more than a bedroom with a small bathroom through a door to the side.  He soaked in the tub and tried to forget that anything at all had happened different today than yesterday. 

The next morning he went to the kitchens and got breakfast from the elves and waited until lunch to go to the Great Hall, where he sat with Agretious and Tillium at the end of one of the tables where the Muggleborns sometimes gathered when the others were being especially harsh.

"Have you had class with Professor Silver yet?" he asked. 

"I had class with him this morning," Agretious said.

"And?" 

Agretious looked around and then looked at Henry.  "It was strange.  He singled me out."

"What do you mean?" 

"He kept calling on me, and he awarded me house points.  It was like I was his favorite student in class or something.  Me.  Agretious Malfoy the mudblood."

"Don't say that," Henry directed him and the boy looked chastised and nodded. 

"Was he mean to you?"

"No... it, it was weird, like I said.  Usually only Mrs. Lyons or Professor Darrow calls on Mudbl- Muggleborns in class." 

"What about you?" he asked Tillium.  "Did you go to his class today?"

She shook her head.  "No Ravenclaws have him tomorrow.  But Gryffindor and Slytherin were in there today weren't they?" 

Henry looked around and then got the attention of several Gryffindor first years and waved them over from Gryffindor table.  August Byrne and Alisha Allen came over and sat down.

"Did you have Potioneering today?" Henry asked. 

"Yes Master Silver," they said.

"What was it like?" 

They looked at each other.  "Well, we learned to brew a bruise balm."

"And how did the new Professor treat you?" 

"He gave me points," August said.  "Not many, but a few."

"He gave a lot of the Slytherins points," Alisha said. 

"The purebloods or the Muggleborns?"

"Both, but mostly the Muggleborns.  He said Timothy Pierce was smart and should apply himself more." 

Henry crossed his arms.  "So you like him then?"

The Gryffindors shrugged.  "He's ok.  Better than a lot of the other Professors." 

"He- has the last name as you," Agretious hazarded.  He seemed to realize that Henry was a little on edge.

When Henry didn't say anything Tillium looked up to the staff table where Tobias sat on the far end, the position that said he was the least valuable to the Headmaster.  "He kind of looks like you too," she said. 

"He came last night.  He said he's my father."

"And your name is Harry," August said.  "Professor Darrow said so last night." 

"And my name is Harry," he agreed.  Master Harry Silver.  Or maybe not a Master at all.  If he left Hogwarts, he would go back to being Harry Silver, Master of no one.  He doubted his father held him in any high regard like Mrs. Lyons or the Muggleborns did.  Even the pureblood students seemed to look up to him.  He guessed it was because he was closer in age to them than the rest of the staff, so he took the time to listen to them.  Still, he was somebody here.  He had made a life for himself here hadn't he?  Made work... made a reputation.  He had purpose here.  What was there for him out there in the world?

"Not such a bad name," Agretious said.  "Simple... like Henry." 

Henry... Harry nodded.  "Go back to your tables.  Tillium, come to help me with the new corridor after dinner for an hour."

They gave him a look and then did as they were told.  Harry noted that Agretious went to sit next to Miriam Weasley again, and she didn't seem to object.  Before he got up himself, he looked at the staff table again and found Tobias staring at him.  He felt irritated and also a little angry and wondered where the anger had suddenly come from.  He didn't know but it was there and it felt right.  If this was his father, and he naturally felt angry towards him, then he must not be a good man, he told himself.  And then he left, wanting to avoid the man, and be alone.